Jan. 15, 2014

Box Score | Highlights | Morris' postgame comments

BOSTON - Leading by two with 2:42 remaining, the Boston University men's basketball team shut down Colgate's offense and scored the game's final six points to claim a 66-58 victory on Wednesday night at Agganis Arena.

Playing without the services of Patriot League preseason Player of the Year D.J. Irving due to injury, the Terriers improve to 12-6 and remain perfect in conference action at 5-0, while the Raiders fall to 6-10 (0-5 PL).

Sophomore Maurice Watson Jr. went 7-of-14 from the field to finish with a team-high 20 points and six assists, while senior Dom Morris posted 15 points and two steals. Sophomore Nathan Dieudonne hauled in a game-high seven rebounds and helped the Terriers hold Colgate below 43 percent shooting for the first time since the Raiders fell at Georgetown on Dec. 7.

The Raiders entered the game ranked 23rd in the nation in field goal shooting percentage (.483) and eighth in 3-point shooting (.414) but could never get into a rhythm against the Terriers, finishing 25-of-59 (.424) and 8-of-28 (.286), respectively. Murphy Burnatowski hurt BU with five treys and tallied a game-high 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting, but the team's leading scorer Austin Tillotson (14.9 ppg, 63.5 FG%) went 2-of-9 for four points total.

After Morris opened the contest with a layup, Burnatowski drained the 3-pointer and scored nine of Colgate's first 11 points. The Terriers grabbed the lead back (16-15) at 12:03 on Watson's trey but would not score again for the next six minutes.

Colgate took advantage and pulled ahead 22-16 at 8:05 on Burnatowski's layup. Morris ended the scoring drought one minute later, as he scored easily on a quick pass from senior Travis Robinson. The Raiders came back with a 3-pointer by Damon Sherman-Newsome to give BU its largest deficit of the conference season (25-18) with 4:15 left in the half.

Ranked No. 25 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll for the first time this season, the Terriers didn't buckle under the pressure and used a trey by sophomore John Papale and buzzer-beating jumper by Watson to pull within two (27-25) entering the locker room. BU shot 39.3 percent from the field and committed seven turnovers, while the Raiders shot 44.4 percent in the first half.

The offensive numbers dramatically shifted in the second half, as BU went 13-of-22 (.591) and held Colgate to 13-of-32 (.406). Papale quickly tied the game with a layup and was followed by Morris' lone 3-pointer.

The contest was tied for the eighth and final time (39-39) with 14:09 remaining on Sherman-Newsome's jumper. BU reeled off five straight points and built the lead to as high as eight (53-45) at 9:38. 

Colgate cut the deficit to one possession at 5:39 (55-53), 4:47 (58-55) and 2:42 (60-58), respectively, but the Terriers had an immediate response each time. After Morris completed a 3-point play, Watson stepped up with two floaters.

Following Burnatowski's final 3-pointer at 2:42, the Raiders went 0-of-3 from the field and committed two turnovers down the stretch. Trailing 62-58 with 51 seconds left, Matt McMullen lost the ball to junior Malik Thomas, forcing the Raiders to foul the rest of the way. Freshman Cedric Hankerson made both free throws to extend the lead to six.

Tillotson and Burnatowski both missed field goal attempts on the next possession before Watson grabbed his fifth rebound of the game. He drained a pair of free throws, and Hankerson sealed the victory with BU's seventh steal.

Colgate won the battle at the boards, 35-29, and led in second-chance points, 10-5, but BU held a 28-24 advantage in points in the paint and 11-6 cushion in points off turnovers. The teams also finished equal in made 3-pointers at eight apiece with the Raiders averaging 9.7 per contest.

Holding their third opponent of the season below 60 points, the Terriers improve to 23-15 all-time against Colgate in a series dating back to 1933-34. BU has won the last 19 meetings, though the previous victory occurred at the 1990 North Atlantic Conference tournament semifinals.

The Terriers will next conclude their two-game homestand at Agganis Arena Monday (Jan. 20) with Loyola Maryland at 7:30 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network. They will look to avenge last March's CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament first round defeat to the Greyhounds on the day honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who earned his Ph.D. from BU in 1955.